HEAnet 2009 Conference Wireless Mesh Networks Survey (interim report)

HEAnet 2009 Conference

Wireless Mesh Networks Survey

(interim report)

Background

• Preliminary questions on WMN sent to HEAnet client list.

• Following responses, HEAnet decided to commission a survey on WMN in HEI’s

• iLink was selected to carry out survey

• Summarise current usage of WMN in HEAnet client institutions, both for research and production purposes. (Primarily from a deployment perspective)

• Consider WMN instances in public networks in Ireland, such as metro or community services.

• Indicate motivations for deployments

• Describe the equipment involved.

• Where possible, describe interoperation and handover of WMN with other wireless technologies, including WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) and the 3G set of standards.

Objective of survey

Objective contd.

• Provide quantitative and referenced measures of performance of WMN

• Describe management of the service, whether in-house or outsourced.

• Where appropriate, give reasons for trials being completed and not subsequently implemented.

• Provide indicative costs of WMN deployments, including end-user costs.

• Identify proven applications that use WMN features, such as direct multicast.

Survey Approach

• A shortlist of HEI’s were contacted• An interview approach was taken in the form of

phone and e-mail correspondence• A short questionnaire was circulated• All those contacted responded• Others contacted were Ward Solutions , Wexford

CoCo and Commercial developer of WMN equipment.

Sample Responses

• Small WMN deployments in the main for research purposes (4 to 16 in size)

• WLAN deployments providing campus hotspots.

• 800 AP WLAN in UCD• Plans by some institutes to deploy WMN in

2010 for CCTV , VoIP , further research• Eduroam backend is priority for some?

Interim Summary contd..

• Wifi access part of HEAnet wireless strategy• Campus wide network needs extending• WMN could be used for this• E.g . Eduroam made available in Groningen

City WMN

What is a WMN-City?

What is a WMN-Campus?

Public WMN example-Wexford

• Wexford City• 13 Nodes• Used for CCTV by Garda • One Kiosk• Selected set of websites accessible• Not fully functional• Other trials , Carlow , DDA , Derry

Examples in other countries

• Google WMN covers 11.5 square miles with over 300 Aps (nodes) in Mountain View

• Groningen – initiative between Groningen University , Hantze University and Gronigen Municipality

• Oulu – City & University

Next Steps

• Contact other HEI’s that have deployed or researched WMN

• Complete final report

• Assess the technology as one that could be part of the HEAnet wireless strategy.

Thank you

My contact details

[email protected]